Yesterday
the school board switched tactics. Because the public uproar in support
of Mr. Freshwater was so great they decided it was time to pull out
the smoke and mirrors. They knew that they had made a huge overreach,
so to cover their own rear-ends they decided to attack the credibility
of Mr. Freshwater. It is a classic attempt to divide and conquer.

This
press
release was filled with a list of “allegations” against
Mr. Freshwater and represents an attempt to publicly flog an honorable
Christian man. Christian superintendent, Steve Short, ordered an inquisition
and a babysitter for Mr. Freshwater in a lame attempt to make himself
look honorable. We cannot allow the fog to hide the real issue.

There
are forces at work who want to ban the Bible from public consumption.

My
wife and I journeyed to the movies last weekend to view Ben Stein’s
movie, EXPELLED.
It is a must view for Christians. From their own mouths
the atheists exposed their agenda…the removal of Christianity
from the education of our children. We have turned the education of
our children over to those who hate God and America is paying a heavy
price for it.

The
God-haters are playing for keeps and they don’t care who they
harm.

In
the Freshwater affair the school has released “allegations”
that he “burned crosses” on the arms of children. They knew
the incident was a science experiment that had nothing to do with his
faith, but they chose to link it anyway. Listen
here to a brief 3 minute interview I did with a radio station this
morning. We are in a war.

Hopefully
those of you who read this commentary are educated enough to know that
the idea of separation of church and state as currently practiced in
America looks nothing like what our Founders envisioned. That is the
linchpin upon which all of the atheistic arguments hang. If we believe
THAT lie all our positions become vacuous. Religious expression is free
speech. No longer must we allow Christians and the Christian point of
view to be relegated to second-class citizenship.

That
is what the atheists have attempted to do. No, that is what they have
done. If a view has any connection to Christian beliefs, or more specifically
the Bible, then the view is disqualified because it is “religious”
in nature. Atheism is “non-religious.” Humanism masquerades
as “science.” Christian views are “religious.”
The
mythical separation between the church and state bans the religious
point of view. Hence, Christianity is forever banished to the four walls
of the church.

Christians
are so ignorant. We should be the best informed, best educated of all
American citizens. Instead of fighting for Truth we have swallowed the
arguments of the Enemy. The battle over the Bible is just another example.

Steve
Short, the superintendent of Mt. Vernon City Schools, is a Christian.
I have known him for years. But he has fallen into the trap set by the
secularists. He believes that his duty is to make sure that Christian
values are not espoused in the classroom. In
his recent statement he said “As a public school system,”
Short said, we “cannot teach, promote or favor any religion or
religious beliefs. Our obligation is not to endorse or establish any
religion under the First Amendment, but we have an obligation to protect
our students’ rights.”

Steve
Short, a Christian man, has been secularized. He is doing the Devil’s
bidding. He is staggeringly ignorant of history. Steve Short is the
product of government schools. He is on the same team as the proud atheists
in Ben Stein’s movie. He should be fighting for Truth. Instead,
he is defending lies.

My
heart is heavy today. I know Christians pray for their Christian leaders.
We work to get them into office. Yet, the Christian world is still screaming
for strong leadership.

Sadly,
when they get into office we find out that they think like the Enemy.
Richard Dawkins himself could
not have done a better job of silencing the Word of God than our own
Christian, Steve Short.

But
the fight is not over.

Last
Friday the students stood up for Jesus in the Mt. Vernon City Schools.
In response to the attack upon Mr. Freshwater the students organized
a “take your Bible to school” day. An estimated 750 junior
and senior high students showed up to school with their Bibles in tow.
They
held a rally and collected over 1000 signatures declaring that the
Bible should stay.

But
the administration doesn’t care what the citizens say. They are
choosing to follow an extra-Constitutional statement found nowhere in
our founding documents. They are believing a lie, repeating a lie, and
fighting for a lie.

Isn’t
it ironic? Those in charge of educating our children are miseducated
themselves. Sort of gives new meaning to the term the blind are leading
the blind, don’t you think?
Here is the bottom line, Church. Our kids are watching. They are watching
to see if we really believe what we say about Jesus. They are watching
to see if we will show the courage to stand-up for what we believe.
They are watching to see if, at this critical time, we really believe
that the Bible holds the answers to America’s problems.

They
have taken their stand…what about you Mom and Dad….Pastor?

I
support those who are fighting against the Day
of Silence which is nothing more than a celebration of the homosexual
agenda in the same schools where the Bible is not welcome. You see,
homosexuality is free speech…Christianity is “religion.”
(I wonder where Steve Short stands on this issue.)

But
once again our plan of attack is a plan of retreat. Many are encouraging
parents to keep their children home on April 25th in protest of the
Day of Silence. I think we can do better.

They
banned prayer from the school and the Church complied. They banned Bible-reading
from the schools and the Church said “Amen.” They banned
creationism from the schools and the Church supplied the finances. They
banned Christmas Carols in our schools and the Church “followed
the law.”

Open
your eyes. Today they are trying to ban the Bible. How will the Church
respond?

Coach Dave Daubenmire, founder and President
of Pass The Salt Ministries www.ptsalt.com
and Minutemen United www.minutemenunited.org,
is host of the high octane Pass The Salt radio show heard in Columbus,
Ohio.

In 1999 Coach Daubenmire was sued by the ACLU
for praying with his teams while coaching high school in Ohio. He now
spends his energy fighting for Christian principles in the public domain.